Improve Your Travel Photography (15 Tips for Better Pictures)

We’ve all grown impatient and expect to be able to figure out equipment just by using it. But I think that’s a mistake. If you want to improve your travel photography, you have to be familiar with the features of your camera and phone. Some are buried in menus, not at all obvious at first glance.

When did you last read the manual or watch videos about the functionality of your camera or smartphone? How many of the features are you missing out on?

Knowing how to use all the important features of your camera is the first step to improving your travel photography. So, now is a good time to read the manual.

Sometimes people buy a new camera right before a trip.

If that’s you, read the manual, take your new camera out and shoot for a while, to get the feel for the features. Don’t miss great travel shots because you didn’t know your camera.

If you’re shooting with a DSLR or mirrorless, carry at least one spare battery. It’s surprising how fast they can drain, especially if you’re in a cold environment.

Remember to bring your battery charger and a few extra memory cards. It’s up to you whether you bring your laptop to transfer your files or keep them on the memory cards until you get back home. (I bring my laptop plus a backup drive to clear off my cards every night.)

A few years ago, this wasn’t a serious question. But now, you can get incredible photographs and videos using just a smartphone.

Today’s phones have far more amazing technology built-in than the newest cameras. The camera companies need to wake up or they’ll soon lose their business.

Smartphones give you:

• Detailed low-light images with less noise
• Sharp hand-held long exposures due to image stabilization technology
• Audio that zooms in with video
• Built-in software for editing photos and video

So, the choice is yours. Travel light with just your phone, or take you DSLR or mirrorless camera.

Yes, all cameras have Auto mode where the camera tries to do the work for you. Sometimes the results are fine, but mostly, they could be better.

Ideally you should be shooting in full Manual or Aperture Priority mode to gain much more control.

Although it’s confusing and intimidating at first, with a bit of practice, shooting Manual will become second nature to you.

If you’re looking for help, I’d recommend John Greengo’s course, Fundamentals of Photography as the perfect place to start. This is the course I bought years ago, (it’s been updated since then) and I still refer to it from time to time. I’ve bought other courses, but find this one the most useful. Here’s what’s included:

• 107 Video lessons in HD
• Over 24 hours of class content
• Lifetime access, anywhere, anytime
• Streaming and offline access on desktop and mobile

What I really like about this course, is that it’s broken down into the separate lessons which are clearly titled. So, when you want to learn about a specific topic or just refresh your memory, you go to that video and the associated documents.

If you’re wondering why other people’s photos look so much better than yours, one of the reasons is that they have been edited in programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.

If you’ve been using JPEGs right out of your camera or phone, learning how to edit will be a big step up.

There are many choices for photo editing software: free or paid, mobile or desktop or online service.

The most comprehensive image editing app with the steepest learning curve is Adobe Photoshop. It’s what the pros use. If you want to learn, here’s a great and inexpensive Photoshop for Beginners course from CreativeLive.

The most popular professional photo editing software is Adobe Lightroom, which can be used together with Photoshop. You can get access to both for about USD $10 a month. There are some things Lightroom can’t do, but if you want to start editing at a professional level, it’s a good choice. It’s available for desktop and mobile.

The most popular photo editing software for smartphones is Snapseed, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Although not regarded as professional level, it is loaded with features that make it worthy competition to Lightroom.

Just think of your original image as the raw material. Your edit is the rest.

There are of course many other editing programs, but I think that if you’re going to learn how to edit, you may as well start at the top. You’ll eventually want to move up to one of them anyway.

DSLR and mirrorless cameras give you the option of shooting in RAW format. On the most recent generations of smartphones, there are setting for the native apps to shoot in RAW, and there is a wide variety of third-party apps.

A RAW image file is a big file that contains minimally processed data – it’s meant to be edited. On its own, it’s flat, unexciting. But it contains a wealth of information, and most importantly any editing you do on a RAW file is non-destructive. That means you can always re-edit to try different styles.

When you’re finished editing a RAW file, you’ll then save a smaller JPEG version (or a number of versions in various sizes if you like) that you can upload to social media or your website.

Keep in mind that RAW files are quite large and can fill up your memory quickly. So, you may want to transfer the files to the cloud, your desktop or an external drive.

By comparison, a JPEG file is already edited and compressed by the software in your camera or phone. You can further edit it in any program, but you have less information to work with, and any changes you make are permanent. So for example, if you crop an image, you’ll have lost the original, unless you made a copy before you started.

So, my recommendation is to learn how to edit RAW files. Sharper cleaner images, total editing flexibility, better printing quality. You’ll never go back.

Today, you can get all the leading editing apps for all platforms. That means, it’s really a matter of personal preference.

For me, I want as much screen real estate as possible, so I edit on a desktop. But others are very comfortable on a tablet.

I don’t know anyone who edits on their mobile, but that’s just me. I’m sure lots of people do, and you can’t beat it for convenience if you’re actually shooting on a phone. When I shoot on a phone, I transfer the shots to my desktop to edit.

If travel photography is part of your vacation, and you’re with your partner or family, you need to negotiate a little time by yourself to take your photography up a notch.

You want time to find shots, try different angles, and maybe wait until the light is just right.

You can’t expect others to stand around while you’re lining up the perfect shot.

Perhaps you can get out before sunrise while they’re sleeping in or having breakfast. Or, just plan for a few hours of separate activities. You’ll get much better shots.

The best option is to go on a trip alone or with someone who wants to do what you do – take pictures day and night.

After our first trip to Venice, I went back a second time alone, just to shoot. It was great to wander the city with no agenda but to take photographs.

Here, I’m talking to myself. I have to keep reminding myself to slow down, look for those “keeper” shots, rather than pointing my lens at everything. One good shot is worth a hundred that you’ll never look at again.

Slow down to really look at what you’re shooting. You may have to wait for people to get out of your scene, for traffic to change or for the light to improve.

A hidden benefit of shooting in Manual mode is that it forces you to slow down a bit. You’ll want to make adjustments to get your settings just right.

For big landscapes – say mountains or by the sea – you’ll want to be on location before sunrise or just after sunset. Colours are richer, the sky is more interesting and if you’re lucky, the clouds will add some drama.

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t shoot at other times. If you’re shooting in a city with tall buildings, you may need the sun high in the sky to provide light, and create interesting shadows. In some places, high noon is the perfect time to shoot.

In low-light situations, you’ll likely want a tripod, although some of the newer cameras give you incredible hand-held shots when it’s virtually dark. The most recent generation of smartphones have wonderful low-light capabilities.

Many photographers like shooting people as part of their travel stories. But there are questions about legality, morality, common sense, whether to ask or not etc. (The following are my answers. I’m not a lawyer, and your answers may be different.)

First, in a public space, it’s my understanding that it’s legal to photograph anyone whether you ask or not. But perhaps the bigger questions are about morality and common sense.

I don’t photograph children if they are identifiable. From the back, maybe, but usually because they’re part of a scene, not the focus.

I don’t photograph people who indicate that they don’t want their picture taken. This may be for personal or religious reasons, it doesn’t matter. If I’ve already taken a shot, I’ll delete it. I don’t want to upset people, nor get into altercations.

I don’t photograph people who are in anguish, or having a hard time. That’s why I don’t shoot people living on the street. But that’s my call, I know others see it differently.

Sometimes I ask people to pose for me if I want them to look into the lens. Other times, usually with a longer lens, I’ll shoot without asking. If I ask, and they say no, I won’t shoot. That’s just respect.

For the ultimate control of your image, especially in low light, you’ll want a tripod. With a tripod, you can shoot long exposures of many seconds or minutes to get effects like smooth water, silky waterfalls and more dramatic skies.

There are many books on composition, and for good reason. When all is said and done, it’s the composition of your photo that matters most.

Here are a few techniques to keep in mind for your compositions:

Leading Lines – Photography is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional world. An image with natural lines that lead the eye into the image, say a road, railway line or row of buildings, is generally more interesting to look at because the 3D effect is more obvious. Study images that really appeal to you – many will have obvious leading lines that take you into the picture. Look for leading lines when you’re hunting for compositions.

Rule of Thirds – Many cameras let you see a grid of nine rectangles in your viewfinder, in other words 3 X 3. When you’re shooting, placing the focus of your image near one of the intersections is often more pleasing than dead center. It gives the eye somewhere to go, rather than being stuck in the middle.

Symmetry – In seeming contrast to the rule of thirds, an image that is obviously symmetrical, can be very appealing, because subconsciously, we’re comparing the sections to each other. That keeps us involved in the image.

Balance – While the rule of thirds suggest that the focus of your image is off to one side rather than center, if it’s too one-sided with no counter-weight on the other side, it will feel off balance. This can sometimes be fixed by changing the cropping of the image.

Scale – We’re fascinated by scale especially at extremes. Having people in your pictures can help with the scale of the other objects in your shot such as a building, bridge or tree. You know approximately how tall a person is, which helps you appreciate the size of everything else. See the earlier shot of the boulders in Monsanto.

Negative Space – Sometimes “nothing” can be very meaningful. Negative space is often tied to scale, for example, a person walking down a beach with a huge stormy sky taking up most of the shot.

Framing – Shooting through an archway, a window or door provides a natural frame for the subject. It’s especially useful if the frame itself helps tell the story.

Point of View – Most photography is shot at head height. Try shots with either the camera close to the ground, or from above for a different perspective.

When you shoot travel images, it’s tempting to try to cover everything. I am very guilty of that. To slow myself down and really look, I’ll often try one of two things.

In the first case, rather than carry a camera bag with a few lenses, I’ll pick a lens I don’t usually shoot with, and take only that one. For example, I have a 35 mm lens. It’s not the lens I use most often. It’s a prime, so no zooming. With that lens, when I see something I want to shoot, I have to find the best composition while dealing with the restriction of the lens. I’ll miss some shots because I can’t zoom in, but that’s ok. I’ll get others that I would never have thought of otherwise.

Or, I might give myself the assignment to shoot just one thing – be it a building, bridge, beach, market, whatever. I am going to find many ways to cover that subject – from afar, from a high vantage point if possible, close-up details, with people and without, in different lighting conditions, vertical and horizontal orientation, whatever it takes to really work a location.

There are a few purists out there who claim you shouldn’t crop a picture – what you took, is what you get. To which I say, nonsense. It’s your picture. If cropping it makes It better, do so.

But crop or not, the one thing you always want to look for is a straight horizon. When you’re shooting handheld, it’s easy to have a horizon that’s not 100% straight. That’s where editing comes in – straighten out that horizon.

When you’re shooting, look around the edges of your frame. Ideally, you don’t want things like the odd tree branch or light fixture sticking into your shot. If you can eliminate it in-camera, do so. Otherwise, get rid of it in editing, either by cropping or retouching it out. Before you press the shutter, run your eye around the edges.

Whether it’s your every-day camera, a point-and-shoot or your phone, you never know when a scene will appear that you want to capture. Even if it’s just for reference for you to go back to later, it’s worth having a camera with you.

There’s nothing like having WiFi wherever you go. We rented a Teppy portable WiFi and carried it with us everywhere. It’s small so that it fits in your pocket or bag. With a Teppy, you can connect your phones, tablets, laptops and gaming consoles just like you connect to WiFi at home.

Use the apps on your phone including your favorite GPS apps without paying expensive cellular service fees.

It’s also perfect for uploading pictures, sending emails or just web browsing. We also used it for online work on the road including web updates and social media.

Teppy portable WiFi works around the world. Try it on your next trip.

For hotel accommodation, we like Booking.com. Photographs show off the properties, and real reviews help you choose the hotel that’s best for you. You’ll find a great selection, current prices and pages that make booking easy.

Remember, the most popular destinations fill up quickly, so book early to get the best selection and price. Click here, and you’ll get $25 off your next reservation on Booking.com.

We’ve rented Airbnb on many of our trips. We wrote an article about renting Airbnb, 12 Tips for a Great Renting Experience to help you make the right decision. If it’s your first time renting Airbnb, click here to get the equivalent of $50 CDN off your first booking.

Along with the websites and other travel planning tools, we still like to have a guide book handy. We’ve tried them all, and these days we prefer Lonely Planet books.

Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. If you click on them and buy something or book accommodation, we receive a small commission at absolutely no cost to you. This helps with the cost of operating this site.